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Watch: Changes to road travel

There are two main ways to travel on land. One way is on roads and the other way is on railway tracks. Let鈥檚 see how transport has changed.

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Roads: bicycles

A drawing of a man in a top hat riding a draisine bicycle.
Image caption,
A man riding a draisine bicycle.
  • The first bicycle was invented in 1817 by Karl von Drais. It was called a Draisine.
  • There were many popular designs for bicycles. For example, the penny-farthing had a big wheel at the front and a small wheel at the back.
  • Bicycles became much more popular when they were made with two wheels of equal size and rubber tyres. These were known as safety bicycles. The design looks similar to bicycles today.

Roads: motor cars

Someone driving a Model T Ford.
Image caption,
Someone driving a Model T Ford.
  • The first steam-powered car that could carry passengers was made in 1769.
  • German inventor Karl Benz created the first petrol motor cars in 1885. They only had three wheels!
  • The Model T Ford was the first car that ordinary people could afford to buy. It was made between 1908 and 1927. It is one of the biggest selling cars of all time.
  • The roads in Britain were not built for cars. As cars became more popular, new roads needed to be built. In 1959 the first inter-city motorway was built in Britain. It runs from London to Leeds.
Someone driving a Model T Ford.
Image caption,
Someone driving a Model T Ford.
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Watch: The history of rail travel

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Railways

A diesel train.
Image caption,
A diesel train.
  • In 1829 Robert Stephenson invented one of the first steam engines. It was called Rocket and it could travel up to 29 mph.
  • The first modern railway opened in 1830. It carried passengers between Liverpool and Manchester.
  • The world's first underground railway was opened in 1863 in London. This grew over the next 100 years and is now known as the London Underground or the Tube.
  • Between the 1930s and 1960s, steam engines began to be replaced by diesel engines.
  • Today, diesel engines are being replaced by electric trains.
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Activities

Activity 1: Put the vehicles in the right order

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Activity 2: Transport on land quiz

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